A study published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, Neurology®, suggests that individuals whose diet closely aligns with the MIND diet may have a lower risk of cognitive impairment. The MIND diet combines elements of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, emphasizing green leafy vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, and berries over other fruits. The study, which included both Black and white participants, does not prove a causal relationship between the MIND diet and cognitive health but shows a significant association.
Conducted by Russell P. Sawyer, MD, from the University of Cincinnati, the study involved 14,145 participants with an average age of 64, tracking them over a period of 10 years. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire detailing their dietary habits over the past year, with researchers assessing how closely their diets matched the MIND diet criteria. Points were assigned based on various food categories, such as whole grains, green leafy vegetables, berries, fish, poultry, beans, and nuts, to create a total diet score.
Participants were then grouped into low, middle, and high diet score categories based on their total score. Cognitive impairment was observed in 12% of individuals in the low diet group, 11% in the middle group, and 10% in the high group. After adjusting for factors like age, high blood pressure, and diabetes, researchers found that those in the high diet group exhibited a 4% reduced risk of cognitive impairment compared to those in the low group. Additionally, female participants who adhered closely to the MIND diet had a 6% lower risk of cognitive impairment, while no significant decrease was noted in male participants.
The study also explored the rate of decline in thinking and memory skills among participants. Results showed that individuals who followed the MIND diet more closely experienced a slower rate of decline compared to those who did not, with this effect being more pronounced in Black participants than in white participants. The findings suggest that simple dietary changes could potentially reduce or delay the risk of cognitive impairment, though further research is needed to explore the variations based on gender and race.
The study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute on Aging. One of the study’s limitations is that it only included older Black and white participants, so the results may not be generalizable to other populations. Nonetheless, the results highlight the potential benefits of following a diet closely aligned with the MIND diet in reducing the risk of cognitive decline and cognitive impairment, especially among aging populations. More research is needed to confirm these findings and to explore the potential impact of dietary habits on cognitive health in other demographic groups.
